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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · spell · mug · cap · staff · spring · coach · last

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. staff — employees
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — finally
  8. spring — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spring — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spell — magic
  19. mug — a cup
  20. last — final
  21. mug — a face
  22. spell — letters
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com